A new 24-bed patient unit for cardiac and pulmonary care is open at Ministry St. Clare's Hospital in Weston.

It opened yesterday and already has three patients.

The $5 million project uses space that was previously constructed for future development.

It also includes a clinical decision unit, where the medical needs for patient admissions is determined.

"It gives us additional flexibility because it also added a component where patients can be assessed quickly, patients that may not need to be hospitalized at all but they need further work up and chest pain would be an example of that," said Julie Beeney, R.N. the director of patient care services.

She says recently the hospital has had bed capacity concerns. Lots of patients are from the Wausau area, but many come from the northwoods communities too.

The hospital also added 15 full time employees. Beeney says they plan to triple that number as they phase into the expansion in the next few months.